Rly Employee Union set to campaign against Centre's privatisation policy

Kolkata: Railway Employee Union is all set to launch 'Jana Sampark Prochar Programme' campaign to protest against central government's privatisation policies on September 14.

The decision to launch the campaign comes a week after Eastern Railway Men's Union (ERMU) staged demonstrations at Sealdah station, Howrah station and Liluah station.

ERMU has also formed a five-member committee to stop privatisation of trains.

"Under the banner of All India Railway Federation, the Jana Sampark Prochar Programme' campaign will start on September 14 and continue till September 19. In order to intensify the protest against privatization, all the branches and the central leadership will liaise with the mass organizations and prepare for the formation of a joint platform," said Tanmay Roy, division secretary of All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA). The main objective of this campaign is to connect with students, youths, women and labour organisations who are against privatization of Indian

Railways.

This apart, there will be street corners in different places to make the common mass aware about how privatisation of Indian Railways will affect the country's economy.

"On September 19, ERMU members along with postal employee union members and others will protest at Eastern Railway headquarters (Farlie Place)," said Dilip Dutta Chowdhury, president of ERMU.

While Indian Railways will freeze new posts creation except in the 'safety category', it will not affect the ongoing recruitment for filling vacant posts of technical and non-technical posts announced in 2018. The process of recruiting 64,317 assistant loco pilots and technicians had already been completed. The Indian Railway had started dispatching appointment letters. However, recruitment exams for 35,208 non-technical posts will be conducted after normalisation of the situation following the Covid-19 crisis.

Indian Railways has decided to allow private passenger train operators to run 151 trains on 109 routes. It has set a timeline for trains run with the help of the private sector. The first set of private trains will arrive in 2023. It will have 12 trains.

However, all 151 trains will be introduced by 2027.